Patna: The Bihar government will declare the state policy for women empowerment on March 22 to ensure that women participate in mainstream development.
Announcing the measure in a speech at a function in the state capital on the occasion of International Women's Day, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "The state policy for women empowerment will ensure that women are able to reach the resources and participate in mainstream development."
Declaring security of women in Bihar as the priority for his government, Kumar said the special women's cell established for this purpose in 23 police stations in Patna district will be expanded to sub-division level across the state.
"The special women's cell set up by Women Development Corporation (WDC) with the help of CID and British Government's Department For International Development (DFID) will be expanded to 112 police stations across the state, including those of Government Rail Police (GRP)," Kumar said. Flanked by Social Welfare Minister Lesi Singh, Rural Works Minister Shravan Kumar and Sugarcane Industry Minister Ranju Gita at the jam-packed Sri Krishna Memorial Hall, Kumar also announced that the Bihar government will award women excelling in various sectors in the state.
A sum of Rs 50,000 will be given to those selected at district level while Rs 1 lakh will be given to the women chosen at the state level, he said. Pointing that girls riding bicycles to schools presented a picture of the development of Bihar and the change brought in the state, Kumar said, "15 years ago when people saw a girl cycling, they used to approach her father to check her (activities)."
"Today groups of girls ride bicycles freely to school, learn martial arts and are ready to face every situation. This is what we call change."
The Chief Minister recounted various schemes started by his government like distributing bicycles and school dress for girls. "Today 54 per cent boys and 46 per cent girls in the state go to high school. The day is not far away, when girls will match or even outnumber boys. Education is also helping in stabilising population growth. If the woman is matriculate, their fertility rate is 2, which is equal to the national average," Kumar said.
He said that if the woman passed 12th standard, her fertility rate drops further to 1.6 in Bihar which is better than the national average of 1.7. He said if women are educated, various problems like female foeticide, child marriage will automatically disappear.
"Our government has decided to open one higher secondary school in every panchayat to facilitate education of our daughters. I have also given directions that the girls should be provided cash to buy sanitary napkins, and Self Help Groups (SHG) should be promoted to manufacture them," he said.
Kumar said that the state government is targeting to form 10 lakh SHG of women by 2017. This will make them financially secure and bring various advantages, including proper reach of development schemes to them.
The Bihar CM said the government will provide Rs 5,000 as help to skilled women so that they could buy tools related to their work. He also instructed Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh to ensure that girls, who want to do something on their own, get all possible facilities and help from the government.
Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) PK Thakur was also present on the occasion.
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